The question arises how do we know when we have been blessed with God's Grace. It can be said that the awareness is similar to switching on a light in a darkened room then being able to see, and understand beyond the predictable insight offered by the human senses.
In plain language:
“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal.
It’s a way to live.
The law tells me how crooked I am.
Grace comes along and straightens me out.” – Dwight Lyman Moody
No amount of words, academic study, or class room instruction can provide the recipient of God's Grace with all that is the beginning of living ones life on the receiving end of God's guidance, taking us along a road filled with challenges growing us out of our frustration, and depressing willingness to surrender to our fears, into a life filled with benefits that flow into our conscious understandings.
“Grace is something you can never get but can only be given. There’s no way to earn it or deserve it or bring about anymore than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks.” – Frederick Buechner
There will be moments, periods when we are called to stop over at a Halfway Inn to ponder on matters lived thus far, anticipating more to come providing us with good reason to feel impatient, at having to wait for the journey to resume. This is when our faith in God is tested to the fullest, for having provided us with the benefits of His presence in our life time, after time Our Father will invite us to stand by, to take a break enabling us to reflect on our life in His care to date.
“Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.”
― Saint Teresa of Avila
The Prophet Job faced his periods of impatience, frustration, and doubt with the awareness that his experience following, and trusting God's guiding word encouraged him to endure knowing that his doubts were feeding his deepening faith in God's friendship.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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